The Portland daily press., 1887-03-11
THE LAST CONGRESS.
Representative Reed Sizes It Up.

In summing up the achievements and
failures of the XLIXth Congress, especially
Of the House Of Representatives. Mr.. Reed
OF Maine said to Tribune correspondent:
"Ihe XLIXth Congress has failed to do
its most important perceive that those
who are thankful for little are trying by the
enumeration in separate lines Of number
Of small things to make catalogue which
win show quantity If not quality. II the
country is disposed TO fellcitate itself over
the Presidential succession bill, which gave
the President power Of attorney 10 choose
his successor and substituted the possibility
Of Bayard for the possibility of Sherman or
over the Presidential count bill which pro-
vides for a contingency as liable to happen
again as lightning to strike twice In the same
place; or over the interstate commerce rAn,
aalauasat sssaea-taintv that any nation -a.s- -
enacted-the country must be very easily
satisfied. III the country will pause and re-
fleet and summon 10 its recollection the
memory OF what was expected Of this Cen
gress when ii began, 1t viii find that Of the
three great measures which were then deem
ed OF importance, every one Is still in the
future. These measures were reduction Of
the surplus, defence Of the country and adj
mission OF three States In the great North
WCots III tuC VI lktpItStuLdLlNt5.u not
one OF these measures has received even
consideration, not one OF them has risen to
the dignity Of debate. Not even elOquence
has been wasted on them. On the surplus
twice Mr.. Morrison with bis coinmn march
ed up hill and then marched down. twice
Mr.. Randall with his contingent. could have
been seen with good glasses making time on
what seemed TO be bill until he faded fFsss'
Rpr vision behind long lstbtfl tblm a. tb.
most acute man Of this or any age. Mean
time the surplus remains. OF course the Ad-
ministrati0n will now have to buy bonds and
worry the banks or hoard and worry the
country. 1t Is strange how much reform
looks like incapacity. The great call for for
tifications and great guns did not have its
origin in partisan elamor. Samuel j. Tilden
spent the thoughts OF his last days on the
defenceless condition Of his country. The
publieans In reiterating his demand. Yet
the House Of Representatives with con-
temptuous disregard Of the needs Of the
country gave no fortlhcatiOn OF ordnance
bill for either session. And the country re-
mains not only without guns, but without
the capacity and appliances Ito make them.
1t must be fifteen months before another ap-
preparation bill can pass. 1t viii take TWO
years to build an eight-lnch and four 20
build q sixteen-lnch gun. Hence we close the
XLIXth Congress with no gun for f0rtihca-
tion possible for more than three years.
Mr.. Randall, in the explanation he caused
to be given Of his failure, thought he could
have agreed to do something II he had had
time. AS Mr.. Cuteheon pointed out, he had
had the Senate bill nine months. The truth
was he didn't want time, but eternity, and
thus far he seems to have got It. The truth
Is the whole Democratic party-both wings
are struggling to Increase the surplus by re-
fusing needed expenditures, so that they
may make flank attack on protection. They
are not willing to meet the question openly
and will shout down with the surplus"
when they mean down with the tariff"
The refusal to admit the three great Terri
tories was denial Of the right OF local self
government 10 10000 American citizens,
who have made a great empire in the North
west So far from being able to Justify It's
action in this matter the House never dared
TO vote ON the question. So fragrant was the
injustice that no one dared to face 1t. The
reason was not only obvious, but 1t was
stated in full House and not denied. Ii was
because ii was feared that the votes Of the
new States would be Republican.
i have no time 20 talk 10 you about the ap-
propriations, but am told they will be as
large In total as those Of last session, which
exceeded the three preceding years by an
average Of S45, 600 and this nOtwithstand-
Ing the failure Of the deficiency bill and the
river and harbor. Decidedly, II anybody
wishes to be happy over the last Congress, ft
cannot be oyer the House end Of H."